Johnny Ace, born John Alexander in Memphis, Tennessee, was a highly successful blues and R&B pianist and singer.

His career was tragically cut short at the height of his fame when he died at the age of 25 in a bizarre shooting accident in his dressing room at a gig with Big Mama Thornton on Christmas Day 1954. Before that, he had made some noted recordings accompanying the likes of B.B. King and Bobby Bland, and had run up a string of R&B hits as a solo artist.

This 52-track collection includes comprises the A- and B-sides of his releases under his own name on the Flair and Duke labels, plus recordings he made with B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Earl Forest and Junior Parker, along with tribute recordings to him made by other artists after his death. It features all his eight Top 10 R&B hits, including the No.1s My Song, The Clock and Pledging My Love and the Top 3 hits Cross My Heart and Saving My Love For You.

It also features Johnny Moore & The Three Blazers’ Top 20 tribute hit Johnny Ace’s Last Letter. This 2CD set provides as thorough a cross-section of his solo output as could be achieved and also showcases his talents as an accompanying pianist.

REVIEWS

Johnny Ace could boogie with the best of them. Due to his tragic early demise his recording career lasted a mere two years, but in that time he packed in a whole string of R&B hits. This compilation is probably al the Johnny Ace you'll ever need. - Fred Rothwell (Blues & Rhythm June 2021)

A welcome and timely release with a comprehensive 16-page career overview by Paul Watts. Prior to receiving this for review, I'd not listened to the majority of Ace's output for a good ten years or so. It definitely won't be anything like that length of time before I revisit this influential and ultimately tragic early '50s blues figure again. Please don't make the same mistake as me. Suffice to say this is crucial listening for anybody interested in the burgeoning Memphis blues scene of the 1950s. - Pete O'Gorman (Now Dig This Issue 459)

Although the A sides are very similar, the B sides offer more up-tempo instrumentals, rocking and grooving blues and a duet with Willie Mae Thornton. Blues fans will be more interested with the Beale Streeters sessions which have been included, showing that Johnny Ace was certainly an accomplished pianist, an excellent booklet is also included, worth a listen. - Stephen Harrison (Blues Matters Issue 121)